Use the Internet sites linked below to find facts, images, sounds, and anything else you might come across that helps you define the key question:
 

    Before you get started, realize that you will be gathering your information from the Internet.

    You are getting information and images from many web sites and books in order to understand what you will be seeing on a field trip to Washington, D.C.  You will be preparing for the trip while learning about the U.S. Government.  While you are preparing you will practice your ability to describe.  When you return from the trip you will write a letter to a teacher telling the teacher what you saw and what you learned.  You may read the prompt now.  You will not be writing your prompt for a few days, but today you will be writing short descriptions about what you see while visiting some exciting web sites.
 

 
 

    Before the field trip you will be learning about the places we will visit and the things you will see.  You will use one computer to follow these instructions while using the internet, and the computer next to you to record in formation.  You will need to work with one other person in the classroom.  You will be assigned a partner who speaks a different language than you do at home.

    When you and your partner are ready prepare the computer next to you by opening Microsoft Word and type both of your names on the top of the page.  You will work together to learn about the branches of the U.S. Government.

    In order to learn what is meant by "the branches of US Government" click  here.

Now you and your partner will answer this question in a complete sentence.

     When you have finished writing this sentence you will want to learn more about the people who work in each branch.   Click here to reach a web site that will help you get this information.

    Now answer the following questions by writing complete sentences on the computer next to you.
 

    You are really learning a great deal about the branches of government.  Do you want to see exactly where they work?  You will be looking at two maps to help you know where you will be going and what buildings are close to one another.  While you are looking at the maps, you need to practice using prepositions to explain where the different buildings are located.  On the other computer I would like you to write two sentences each using the following words:
 

 

White House Photo        U.S. Capitol Building Photo        U.S. Supreme Court Photo

    Now you are ready to start looking around inside a few buildings.  You will be learning about the buildings by taking some "virtual tours" or looking at pictures with "hot spots".  You will be moving the cursor around in the room to look at different places.  A "virtual tour" is like standing in the middle of the room.  Take a tour of each of the major buildings by clicking on the name of the building below. While you are enjoying your tour look around to see what objects or rooms you find most interesting.  You and your partner will be working together to write descriptive paragraphs about two objects or rooms in the White House and two more descriptive paragraphs about   the  U.S. Capitol Building.  You can also write about The Supreme Court if you would like to.  You should be explaining why that object is placed there, what its history is and why you chose to write about it.  If you choose to write about a room, you will discuss what that room was used for, what is in the room and why you chose to write about it.  Don't forget that good paragraphs include topic sentences.  Don't rush through the rooms, slow down and enjoy them....

The U.S. House of Representatives does not have a virtual tour, but you can see and learn a great deal about this part of Congress by clicking

    You will be taking this trip with the class, but your families might want to know how to visit the three major buildings of government.  Use the visitor information site listed below to find the times and days that you can visit each location.  Write one sentence about the visitor information.  Is it easy to visit the White House? Include some information about getting tickets for The White House.

    You have now completed your virtual tour of Washington, D.C. and its most important buildings.  Sometimes one of the best parts of a trip is getting ready.  Instead of packing your bags with clothes you have filled your head with images and information.  Do you have everything you need to make it a pleasant trip?
 

    Here are a few more sites that you might enjoy looking at when you have finished all of the written work.  Don't forget the more you know, the more you will understand when you take the field trip.  Are you ready now?
 

    If you have written everything you were supposed to you need to check your work with your partner.  You can check your work using the following chart. 
 
 

    You probably would like to view the rubric that will be used to score the writing you have been doing with your partner.  Click on the correct rubric for your ESOL level and check to see if you are earning rubric scores of three....
 
 

    You have just taken a trip to the Supreme Court, the Capitol, and the White House.  Write a letter to a teacher you have this year, or one you had last year.  Describe the trip for your teacher.

    Before you begin think about how you prepared for the trip.  Give the teacher a brief description of what you saw and did on the day of the trip. Tell the teacher what you learned and what historical items you thought were the most interesting. Be sure to tell the teacher about at least two items or rooms.  Tell the teacher whether or not you would recommend the trip, and explain why or why not.

    Now write a letter to a teacher about your recent trip.
 
 

    Your classmates have just taken a trip to the Supreme Court, the Capitol, and the White House.  Write a letter to a teacher you have this year, or one you had last year.  Describe the trip for your teacher.

    Before you begin think about how the class prepared for the trip.  Give the teacher a brief description of what they saw and did on the day of the trip.  Tell the teacher what you learned and what historical items you thought were the most interesting items you learned about.  Be sure to tell the teacher about at least two items or rooms.  Tell the teacher whether or not you would recommend the trip, and explain why or why not.

    Now write a letter to a teacher about the recent trip.